Taiwan president offers peace with China: Video
Taiwan is prepared to talk to China as equals but it will continue to build up its defences, the island's President Lai Ching-te said Tuesday, May 20 as he marked his first year in office.
Lai, a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty and detested by Beijing, delivered wide-ranging remarks on the need "to prepare for war to avoid war" and also bolster the island's economic resilience.
After promising to stand up to China and defend democracy at his inauguration, Lai insisted Taiwan was "willing" to communicate with Beijing if there was "parity and dignity". China has rebuffed Lai's previous offers to talk. "Peace is priceless and there are no winners in war," Lai said, but added "we cannot have illusions" and vowed to continue "to strengthen our national defence capabilities".
Taiwan will "actively cooperate with international allies, shoulder to shoulder to exert the power of deterrence, to prepare for war to avoid war, and to achieve the goal of peace," Lai told journalists at the Presidential Office.
China, which claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to annex it, has held several rounds of large-scale military drills around the island since Lai took office. Taiwan's coast guard warned Monday that China may use "cognitive warfare" to "disrupt public morale" as Lai marks the first anniversary of his inauguration.
As Taiwan comes under pressure from Washington to move more factories to US soil and reduce their trade imbalance, Lai said Taiwan would not "put all our eggs in one basket". Taiwan would increase its economic resilience by diversifying markets and boosting domestic demand. Lai also announced plans to set up a sovereign wealth fund to "boost Taiwan's economic momentum", but did not provide details about its size.
